Ground hogs, is it ok to shoot them on private industrial property?

[farfromahero 1]

At my work we are experiencing a huge ground hog infestation. If we try the fox urine method and it doesn't work is it ok to use a small caliber gun like a .22 to get rid of them?

[Urban Grunt 44]

I can tell you a .22LR just won't kill them with one shot.

[irishpete 2]

I don't know about the legality of it in your area , but I can tell you from experience on my dad's farm in Quarryville PA a .22 won't do it. He wound up obsessing aver getting these things ( they made holes in the ground that the horses could break a leg in) . None of the repellent worked , they are way to fat to kill with a .22 . He wound up getting out the shottie ( he went totally Bill Murray over this) but they are fast too and very hard to get within range.They can feel vibrations in the ground up to 100 yards away. If you try to get within range with a shotgun or handgun , they'll know you are there.

 

He then went with a .30-06 and a good scope with him hiding up in the bedroom (with all the kids in the room with him so he knew where we all were) enabled him to pick them off. But more came....and more.

 

Ultimately , he got a bunch of Have A Heart traps from animal control . They would come pick them up as the cages were occupied.

 

We use to have them in my yard..they ate all of our peas . But then the dogs figured out how to ambush them. We have nothing in our yard now except birds.

 

Good luck , they get into your head.

[silverado427 10,839]

Their out in full force in my neighborhood.

[farfromahero 1]

I am in Camden county to be more specific

[Tactical Turtle 11]

22 won't do it as said before, Ur better off trapping and relocating, or hiring an exterminator. On another not my.buddies .17 rimfire took one.out at about 25 yards. Took one shoot and it was done. If u go.this path skip hollow point ammo and get fmj ammo. They are tough animals though good luck

[hd2000fxdl 422]

They do squish nice and easy on the road if you run over one with an 800lbs Harley. When over one and hardly felt a thing,a thing and it looked quick for the GH also..

 

As far as shooting them where you are, you have to check the local laws first on discharge of firearms, then if you can, if if legal to shoot them.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

I am in Camden county to be more specific

 

I see a joke here anyone want to field this slow ball over the center of the plate??

[Tactical Turtle 11]

I called my.buddy this is what he used.

http://www.basspro.com/Hornady--17-HMR-20gr-XTP-Rimfire-Ammo/product/82326/100855

 

Call Ur local pd and confirm u can disharge a weapon and that doing this is legal. Also figure put before hand what yr going to do with the dead ground hogs

[Krdshrk 3,878]

they are way to fat to kill with a .22

 

Even with a shot to the head?

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

.17 rimfire took one.out at about 25 yards. Took one shoot and it was done. If u go.this path skip hollow point ammo and get fmj ammo.

 

A .17 HMR FMJ will go right through with little to no damage, unless it hits bone. Ballistic tip or JHP are better bets for groundhog extermination. Usually only an entrance hole - no exit. Tends to blow-up inside them. Very effective out to about 150 yards. They are tough - we always hunted them with centerfire varmint rounds (.243 Win and .22-250) and even they don't always anchor them, even with good shot placement. Good luck.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Sandy 44]

That was actually me posting as Pete. Pete never saw a groundhog until 4 years ago .

 

I distinctly remember the Amish farmers in the area telling my father not to bother shooting them. Trapping and relocating was more effective .

 

And yes , my dad also put explosives into their burrow holes.

 

Fond memories , if nothing else lol

[lunker 274]

204 Ruger. Accept no substitute

 

[Sandy 44]

Are those things stoned or something? lol I have never seen other groundhogs not take to underground once someone starts shooting.

[Sandy 44]

Ok , I read the comments . Those are not the same kind of Ground hogs we have here.Those are a much smaller species of Gopher. He said they are smaller than prairie dogs and weigh between 12 oz and 24 oz. . Our groundhogs are the size of a medium sized lap dog only fatter lol

 

Groundhog:

• species Marmota monax from the squirrel family, Sciuridae, order Rodentia
  
• up to 13 pounds, 6 kg
  
• head and body 20 inches(50 cm) long; tail 18 inches
  
• found in eastern and central United States, across Canada, and into Alaska along forest edges abutting meadows, open fields, roads, and streams.
  
• good swimmers, can climb tall shrubs and sizable trees
  

Gopher:

• any of 38 species from the family Geomyidae, order Rodentia
  
• 0.5 pound (250 g)
  
• head and body 6 inches (15 cm) long; tail 3 inches (8 cm)
  
• range from southern Canada and the United States, south through Mexico and Central America, to northwestern Colombia. Found from coastal areas to above the timberline in high mountains.
  
• two to three-year lifespan
  

[lunker 274]

Those shots are at 200+ yards. I'm not sure they know there is a shot coming before they get hit. That round is going +4000 fps and has a polymer ballistic tip. Stuff just flat out blows up. I used to shoot one at Range 14. Water bottles beware.

[Sandy 44]

Did that little girl in the end of video nail them ?

[RubberBullets 65]

They are adapting... Make sure to look up when youre scanning for targets (watched this guy climb up the tree in my back yard when he saw me coming)

 

[Sandy 44]

Oh yeah , they climb alright. And they swim with ease too. People mistake them for Beavers when they see them go by in a river or creek.

[when_shtf 4]

I can tell you a .22LR just won't kill them with one shot.

 

In an effort to eradicate the groundhog population on my property, during the course of a summer I killed 22 groundhogs two years ago. It seemed like every time I killed one, two came to the funeral. I have probably killed more then 50 of them over the last 10 years.

 

The weapon I used; my .22 H&R with open sights. Head shots were shot-n-drop. But I got tired of hauling them deep into the woods or burying them (they do stick to high heaven for a few days). So I got in the habit of a gut shooting them. This way they retreat to their hole and bury themselves.

 

They are crafty. Don't even bother taking out a rifle if the wind is at your back. They aren't easy to shoot because as soon as they sense a threat they retreat to one of their many holes. That, and they tend to not leave more then 10 years between themselves and an escape route. My son has a nice Marlin 795 with a scope that I got him a few months back. I'll be using that as my "verminator" this year. I may use my AR, but then it's back to a post-shot clean-up effort.

[Regulator72 80]

My dad uses .17hmr at his house in PA, only goes for the JFK shots tho, kills em dead..

[Heavyopp 167]

I have a .22 caliber pellet gun that will drop a woodchuck with one shot placed between the eye and the ear 30 yards and under every time.

 

I've done that prairie dog thing -- What a good time -- I was in montana using .243 win -- If you miss they will just stand there. If you have a spotter you can walk your long range shots right in.

 

A lot of times, when you explode one, others will come to eat the remains --- More targets. I've burned hundreds of rounds in 2 trips out to montana on these reactive targets.

[Parker 213]

Groundhogs will succumb to a .22 RF when hit in their topknot provided you can make a clean headshot. Body hits with a .22 usually has them scurrying back to their hole to die slowly. Of course, you'll have to abide by the rules of the state with a proper rifle permit, license, etc. if you want to eradicate them. A .22 is a fun rifle to stalk them with, and you can make do with it.

 

While they are still young and lithe, groundhogs can climb trees and fences very well. Once they pack on the pounds they begin to lose that ability.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

204 Ruger. Accept no substitute

Was it Allan or Steve out there?? LOL

[when_shtf 4]

only goes for the JFK shots tho

 

I can't believe I've never heard of (or thought of) that phrase before.

 

As to the original question, check with the local zoning officer.

[Urban Grunt 44]

I use a center fire .17, never failled to drop them first shot.

 

If you do kill any stuff them back down the hole and cover them over , the other hogs won't go back to that nest.

[SW9racer 262]

Crossbow?

[Rifleman1 32]

 

These will work.

[M4BGRINGO 139]

Damn that Ruger .204 looked like a lot of fun!

[DirtyDigz 1,812]

I had an assignment one summer to pick off groundhogs that had a major excavation project under my grandparent's horse barn.

 

I can provide another confirmation that plain old .22LR in center of mass will not drop a groundhog. If hit they'll spin around to see what "bit" them and then pour like quicksilver into the nearest hole.